The present invention relates to onium-modified polymers. Particularly, the present invention relates to onium-modified polyethers and 1-alkylimidazolium-modified polymers. The polymers can exhibit moisture absorbance and enhanced electrical conductivity.
The 1990 amendment of the U.S. Clean Air Act has established a stringent standard on emission of VOCs and ozone-destroying chemicals for products used in industrial and household applications. VOCs include gasoline, industrial chemicals such as benzene, solvents such as toluene and xylene, and tetrachloroethylene or perchloroethylene, which is the principal dry cleaning solvent. Many of these VOCs are hazardous air pollutants, for example, benzene can cause cancer. Thus, it is desirable to reduce the amount of VOCs used in industrial processes and retained in the products therefrom.
Known to regularly include VOC's are conductive polymers, typically having an extended conjugated system for their backbone conductivity and/or containing dopants as additives to increase their conductivity or moisture absorption capacity, such as doped polyaniline, poly(ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), polyacetylene and polyacetylene derivatives, and moisture-absorbing materials. Because the preparations of most of these polymers often involve VOCs as solvents, naturally, certain amount of the VOCs residues will remain in the end products. Nonetheless, these polymers play important commercial roles. Conductive polymers have been used as cathodes and solid electrolytes in batteries, corrosion inhibiting coatings, battery membranes, and separators etc. Polymers with moisture-absorbing properties have been used as coatings for packaging material, and in the tire industry.
One advantage of the present invention is to provide novel onium-modified polymers that have good conductivity and strong moisture absorbing capability. Another advantage of the present invention is to use room temperature ionic liquids as both solvents and reactants, which are nonvolatile, nonflammable, and recyclable, to produce the onium-modified polymers.